Follow You Into the Dark
by Angst Is My Middle Name
Summary: A sortof songfic about the wonderful, close friendship Dets. Starsky and Hutchinson have. Part One takes place during 'The Fix'. Part 2 set during 'A Coffin for Starsky'. Rated for mild angsty themes.
1. Starsky: The Fix

**_Here's the second love child with Death Cab for Cutie's 'I Will Follow You Into the Dark'. (The other one is for MASH.) This just a little two-parter. Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. This is S/H FRIENDSHIP... but feel free to misconstrue all you want._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Dets. Starsky and Hutchinson or Huggy Bear... or the Gran Torino. tear_**

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'_**If there**__**'**__**s no one beside you when your soul embarks, **_

_**Then I'll follow you into the dark.'**_

That's what you are thinking as you sit on the bed with your partner. He looks really messed up. He is drenched in sweat, smells awful, has bags under his eyes, and just finished throwing up fifteen minutes ago. You almost cried as he heaved, his back arching upwards violently for almost nothing at all. You just kept your hand on his back as he vomited, praying each would be the last, and being denied every time. Thankfully, all was peaceful now, Hutch having successfully emptied his stomach of all it ever contained; he was asleep at last. You, however, are not able to sleep easy just yet. You are still on edge for him. What if that Monk guy figures out where you are? He wouldn't have any trouble getting his goons up there. Sure, Huggy could put up a fight, but he wouldn't last long against trained hitmen.

You find yourself absent-mindedly stroking his hair, moving strands out of his face, and you allow yourself a small smile for the first time in nearly a day. You love moments like this, when it is just you and him and peace. Where the two of you are together. But this is not how you want to be, how you want him to be. You do not want be out of your mind with worry. You do not him to be coming down off a forced high from heroin. You want to be quietly watching TV or be driving around in the Torino or even in Hutch's shitty car. But Hutch is not in any shape to do anything other than sleep right now. So you sit with him, his head in your lap, and you are playing with his hair.

Suddenly, you begin to wonder if other people wonder about you and Hutch. The thought brings back your smirk. You know that nothing would ever happen between the two of you and that you were just really good friends, and that was made speculating what people thought even more fun.

You are startled as a soft chuckle escapes your lips. You look down at Hutch. He has not stirred at all, still lightly snoring in your lap. Even now, as your eyes take in his wounds and then rest on the evil marks on his arm, you feel the tears coming back, but you don't try to keep hem back this time. You merely angle your head so that they will not fall on Hutch's face and wake him. Your primary thought for him had been fear, then a need to care for him, followed by anger toward the perpetrators, and now… now all you feel is sadness and a strange sense of failure. You had failed to keep him safe. He got kidnapped and beat up and drugged up, and you weren't even there to help him. Of course, you were completely unable to know what had happened to him. Your thoughts are painful, but you cannot make them go away. You wish you could've been there to help him, to back him up. Now, all you can do is comfort him and make a promise. You decide in that moment to do whatever it takes to keep him safe from now on.

"I know you hate this soapy stuff, pal, but I just gotta say it, even if you can't hear me," you whisper to him, sniffing a little, "I just want you to know that I would do anything for you. Even follow you into a hail of bullets. I'll follow you into the dark if I have to, pal."

Hutch rolls over and faces your stomach, muttering, "I know," nestling himself further into your lap. You look down, puzzled, and realise that he heard you. This brings the smile back to your face. You continue to stroke his blonde hair, which to be washed quite badly. You'll tell him to get a shower when he wakes up. Huggy went to his place and got some clothes for him. But you won't tell him now; you'll just wait for him to wake. You wipe your eyes quickly, still smiling peacefully, one hand in his hair, one at his back. Maybe you'll try to make him eat tomorrow, too. That wouldn't be nearly as hard as following him into the dark.

_**If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied,**_

_**Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs**_

_**If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks**_

_**Then I Will Follow You Into the Dark**_

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**_P.P.S. Just in case my comment about misconstruing offended anyone, I have absolutely nothing against slash or yaoi. I love it! It's just that this particular story is not one of those. Keep an eye out for part two!_**


	2. Hutch: A Coffin for Starsky

**_Here it is! The (not-so-long) awaited Part 2 of my lovely fanfic. Hope you all enjoy this part as much as the first. (I also included the song lyrics at the end. It'll make more sense.)_**

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You were a bit miffed when your phone rang at four o'clock in the morning, waking you up out of a dead sleep, but all that vanished as soon as you barely heard Starsky's voice on the other end of the line. His voice was weak; you couldn't even be sure that it was him. You dressed faster than you ever had in your life and raced to his house as fast as your beat-up car would let you. While your heart was in your mouth all the way there, it seemed to fall straight through your stomach when you entered his room. You rushed over and fell to your knees beside him. Instinctively, you pushed all emotion away and checked his vitals. Starsky's pulse was a bit slow, so you called for an ambulance, and you grabbed his watch hurriedly as it pulled up out front. You made him feel comfortable on the ride to the hospital, like he wasn't alone, like everything would be okay… even if you weren't sure of it yourself. You wouldn't show it, but you were afraid. You were afraid, scared to death, that Starsky was going to die. 

These fears were confirmed by the doctors at the hospital. You forced yourself not to cry. You marvelled, as you went back into the room, at how calm Starsky was about his imminent death. The urge to hug him, to enfold him in the tightest embrace ever shared between two friends, threatened to overtake you, but you fought it down quickly. However, as you got closer to him, you noticed the fear hiding behind his eyes. Then, he noticed that you noticed and began cracking jokes and asking for his pants (which you forgot to grab as you left his house).You chuckle, and he smirks. For a moment, everything was normal again. After the moment passed, though, you remembered that he'd been poisoned and would die if you didn't get going and find the bastard who did this. You knew it would be hard, but you could do it.

You got worried when he started sweating and when he stumbled outside Bellamy's apartment; you pushed it out of your mind. Then he practically collapsed outside the "studio", claiming the worst stomach pain he'd ever felt in whole life. You never felt so helpless before that point. All you could do was hold him until he composed himself enough to go inside and confront the next suspect. You were still afraid, but Starsky needed to be calm. The both of you went in confronted Martini and found him to be one of those you _weren't_ looking for. Starsky was still hurting, so you found Cheryl and got him a shot for pain. Then Capt. Dobey delivered news that hurt you both. Your only other suspect, a man called Wedell, had been dead for four days. You almost cried. You did not have anymore hope. Sure, you let your partner think you did, but that was because you did not want him to lose hope. Even as he told you he'd give you his boots (if this were a cowboy movie) and you grabbed his hand, you had little hope left. However, hope did as it always does, returning when you thought you'd lost it, coming this time from an old woman who worked at a pharmacy who saw Bellamy buy everything he'd need to make a leg cast. You and Starsky left as quick as possible.

And that is what brought you here, to the roof of Bellamy's apartment building, to a shootout with Bellamy, to Starsky blowing away his only chance at survival. What was he thinking? Now… now you are carrying him, a bit ungracefully, down the stairs; he needs to get to a hospital. You feel his ragged breath on your neck, his fingers scrabble unconsciously at your shirt, his muscles twitch under your hands. The tears are stinging your eyes, but you hold them back. This is not the time for emotion; they only can show in private. You wonder, as you gently place your partner in the Torino, if perhaps you were to be next with poison, or if this is your punishment: to be left alone without him. Your mind goes back to a fuzzy phrase you think you might've heard him utter once before about following a friend into the dark… and you wish you could tell Starsky you would do the same.

_**

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Love of mine, **_

_**Someday you will die  
But I'll be close behind  
I'll follow you into the dark  
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white  
Just our hands clasped so tight  
Waiting for the hint of a spark  
**_

_**If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs  
If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark **_

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule  
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black  
And I held my tongue as she told me  
"Son fear is the heart of love"  
So I never went back

If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs  
If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark

You and me have seen everything to see  
From Bangkok to Calgary  
And the soles of your shoes

_**Are all worn down  
The time for sleep is now  
It's nothing to cry about  
Cause we'll hold each other soon  
The blackest of rooms ** _

**If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs  
If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark  
Then I'll follow you into the dark**

-"I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie

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**_I hope you enjoyed this story of friendship. Please review!_**


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